Teach Me Your Ways
by springofthedandelions
Summary: Malfoy is failing a class. Hermione is asked to tutor. Cliche, but I love to write. Please review if you like it. This is set as if the books never happened - no Voldemort etc.


"Miss Granger, once again I am delighted by your extensive knowledge. Your N.E. will be no problem at all this year, I think." Professor Lupin's words caused a scowl to form on a few faces but as for the student in question, a smile lit up her face as she accepted back her essay. Ron and Harry smirked; they had been hearing the teachers tell Hermione similar things since they had started their seventh year a month ago. Both were looking forward to the Christmas break simply because she was driving them nuts with the constant talk about their final exams, as if they weren't stressed enough already.

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione replied and glanced down at her essay on Werewolf transformations and smile again.

"Harry, Ron – a good effort." Lupin said and moved on to the Slytherins. Ron let out a small groan and Hermione looked over.

"I guess if you'd actually studied before writing it, Ron, you may have got a higher mark." She said smugly, her pleasure at doing well getting the better of her and Ron glared in her direction.

"There's only room for one know-it-all, Hermione. I didn't want to get in the way of our Head Girl." Ron shot back and Hermione opened her mouth to retort before Harry interrupted.

"Shut up the pair of you." He said bluntly and they did but not before Hermione managed to shoot a dirty look at Ron. They were silent as they listened to Lupin hand out the rest of the essays.

"Miss Parkinson. I'm afraid this wasn't quite up to scratch but if you submit it again, I won't take this as your final mark." Professor Lupin was saying kindly and Hermione heard Pansy snort. "Mr Malfoy, I'd like to see you after class in regards to your essay."

"Well why can't you just tell me know?" Malfoy demanded and Hermione knew both Ron and Harry were listening to this exchange as well.

"No, I'd rather see you then." Lupin finished firmly and ignored Malfoy's further protests, moving up to the front of the classroom. "That's it for today, guys. Don't forget to read chapter 7 of your books – you'll be starting on it on Friday. See you then."

There was a loud noise of the collective scraping of everyone's chairs and chatter. Hermione, Harry and Ron were the first out of the classroom and began the walk to the common room.

"I can't wait to sit our N.E. just so I don't have to hear about them all the time." Ron started and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ron, it's so important. How can you be so careless with your education?" She replied as they rounded a corner and started up a set of stairs.

"Because I'm not you?" Ron said darkly and Hermione scoffed, turning her head away from the Weasley that irritated her as if it was his job and spotted another Weasley coming towards them.

"Harry!" Ginny called as she ran up to them and Hermione caught Harry's grin before the pair embraced happily. Ron's face was unreadable as his sister and his best friend walked off in the opposite direction hand in hand – no doubt off for one of their regular walks around the grounds – and Hermione gave Ron a warm smile, despite the bickering they were just doing.

"You know Ginny appreciates it that you don't yell anymore." She said quietly as the two of them continued on their way to the common room. Ron snorted slightly and Hermione remembered when Harry and Ginny had gotten together the year before; Ron's face had been a permanent shade of angry red for weeks. "And Harry, too." She added.

"Yeah. I know." Ron said firmly, his tone an indication that the conversation was over but as they spotted the entrance to the common room, Ron spoke again. "It's just weird."

They entered the common room and took their seats by the fireplace. Hermione looked over at her friend. "Why? She doesn't find it weird to see you with Vanessa."

"It's different for me. She's the youngest and the only girl in our family – I have to protect her." Ron said, pleading his case and Hermione tried not to get angry.

"Harry is your best friend. Wouldn't you rather Ginny was with someone you knew rather than someone else?" She said, using the same argument she always did when Ron got into moods like these. She pulled out her charms homework and looked over it; she had finished it the night before but wanted to check it was okay.

Ron sighed and fell back into his chair, closing his eyes. "Do you ever stop working, Hermione?" Ignoring him, she focused on her parchment in front of her. Ron sighed again before standing up. "I'm going down to dinner early to meet Vanessa. You coming?"

"I'll be down soon." Hermione answered without looking up and heard Ron leave. She put her homework away and sat back, rubbing her temples with her fingers. She had been studying too much lately and she knew it but then it was better than the alternative. She was the odd one out in their group now and when they weren't in class, Ron and Harry spent all of their spare time with the girls that were most important to them. Hermione was happy for her friends but that didn't make it any easier. She felt incredibly left out and it was hard to deal with the change in their trio of friends. She shook her head and sighed. Ginny kept telling her she would find someone – maybe she was right.

The Great Hall was buzzing with conversation and Hermione walked slowly along the Gryffindor table, trying to spot her friends. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up suddenly and Hermione frowned; someone was watching her. She scanned her house table quickly before turning her head and found the pair of eyes that made her scowl.

Malfoy was watching her, his face twisted into a cruel glare and as Hermione looked at him, she shot him a look as dirty as the one that was plastered across his face. Though he was glaring at her as if she was dirt on the bottom of his shoe – which really, that's probably what he was thinking – there was something in his eyes that Hermione couldn't put her finger on. There was his usual contempt, hatred and disgust that accompanied his looks but there was something else too and it bothered her some. Before she got a chance to turn away, he did first and Hermione shook her head. As she sat down across from Ron and Vanessa, the Ravenclaw seventh year that he seemed to be permanently attached to, she wiped the scowl off of her face and smiled as if nothing was wrong. She busied herself putting food on her plate but there was something about the look Malfoy sent her that worried her and though she talked with the others, her mind kept wandering back to that look.

Hermione didn't have to wait long to find out what he was glaring at her for. The next morning on her way out of the Great Hall to Arithmancy, Professor Lupin came up to her.

"Hermione, do you mind if I have a word?" He asked and she smiled at him distractedly.

"I really have to get to class, professor." She told him, already taking a step past him, her mind focused on what they would be studying that morning.

"I've spoken to Professor Vector; I won't keep you too long." Lupin continued and Hermione gave in, nodding and following him to his office. The walk was brief and her professor made his way around the desk, sitting down and gesturing for Hermione to do the same. She had no idea what to expect; all she could think was that she had done something wrong after all in her essay that she had been handed back the day before.

"Am I in trouble?" She asked quietly and Lupin shook his head, a hint of a smile on his face.

"No, of course not. But then maybe you will take it as that." He said and Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you remember yesterday when I was handing back your essays that some of the students in the class didn't do nearly as well as you did."

"Yes..." Hermione said, still not sure what was going on. Were the Slytherins being kicked out of the class? But then why would Lupin be telling her? She focused again on what he was saying.

"A few of them don't seem to be understanding much of the coursework at the moment and as much as I would like to help them myself, with you and the rest of your year preparing for your N.E., and the fifth year students getting ready for their O., along with my...situation, I just don't have the time." He told her and something in her head clicked.

"You want me to help them." She stated and he nodded slowly. There was silence for a moment as Hermione digested his words and thought about what they meant. Coaching the Slytherins was not desirable in the least plus it would take up time that could be spent studying. It _would _mean however that when she finished school at the end of her school year, she would have not only the title of Head Girl under her belt, but – fingers crossed – reasonably good N.E.W.T marks and then this. "Would I get anything for it?" She asked and Lupin laughed lightly. "I mean – you know – like something saying that I did it."

"Yes, it'll be on your record as a service to the school. I've already spoken to Dumbledore." He said and she nodded shortly.

"What would I have to do?"

"Well, at the moment it's only Mr. Malfoy as he is the only one I've spoken to about it. I have yet to speak to Miss Parkinson but to be completely honest with you..." He paused, as if choosing the right words to say and Hermione watched him carefully. "I don't think she'll be open to the idea."

Hermione wasn't complaining. The fact that she would be tutoring Malfoy to begin with was something that had her instantly worried. It all fell into place when she remembered his stare the previous day – he must have known already. Clearly he wasn't thrilled on the idea and neither was she but if it meant a service to the school award and recognition, then she would grit her teeth and do it.

"When do I start?" She asked firmly, as if her tone was the signing of a contract of which she could not back out. Lupin looked pleased.

"You'll do it?" He said and when she nodded, he smiled heartily. "I can't tell you how thankful I am. There's no one better for it, really." Hermione flushed with happiness at his words and all thoughts of what she had to do went out the window. "Is Saturday okay? There's no Quidditch this week."

"Of course." She nodded and Lupin smiled again.

"Thank you, Hermione." He said, standing up as Hermione did the same. "If you just meet him in our classroom at four and I'll meet you both here with the paper work. Again, thank you. I can't tell you how much of a help you will be."

That night as Hermione lay in bed, her thoughts turned from what her end of school report would look like – something that had her smiling happily – to how on earth she was going to tutor Malfoy. The fact that he hated every inch of her being was something of a hassle and that she possibly hated him just as much also posed a bit of a problem. Hermione sighed unhappily to herself in the darkness and turned on her side, frowning to herself. What had she let herself in for? She wasn't up to tutoring Malfoy – was she crazy? They would argue and he would wind her up something shocking; no tutoring would be done at all. By the time her eyes finally closed and sleep took her over, she had already decided to see Professor Lupin the next day and tell him she couldn't do it.

Hermione didn't get that chance, however. The next day in Defence Against the Dark Arts they had Professor Lug, who, once everyone had stopped bombarding him with questions, explained that Lupin would be off for the next week and Hermione realised they were nearing a full moon. She spent the rest of the class in a foul mood and avoided talking to anyone; instead she spent the time writing out the entire chapter of her text book while the rest of the class read it. Reading before she went to bed each night meant she was always ahead on the class work.

As the bell rung and they exited the classroom, Hermione stayed behind. She had been so focused on what she was writing that she only noticed everyone was leaving when they were almost all out the door. Scowling at the backs of Ron and Harry who were long gone, she stuffed her books into her bag and stood up, a small gasp escaping her lips as Malfoy walked right into her.

"Watch it!" He snarled and Hermione glared at him.

"Excuse me but you're the one who walked into me, Malfoy." She said icily and Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her, looking her up and down before curling his lip and smirking at her.

"Sorry, _Professor_." He drawled before sauntering past her and out the door. Hermione stared after him for a moment before following in his footsteps, knowing that each step she took was a step closer to Saturday when she would have to face him again.

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><p><strong>I really should not be starting a new story, for so many reasons. I'm in the middle of The Flame along with a few others, we're heading into the Xmas holidays and I'm working almost every day of it and then after that I'm studying. But! I love writing and this idea came to me. I know it's probably cliché but I really don't care. I'm starting to really enjoy writing Dramione because honestly, I've almost exhausted every idea for Romione or HarryGinny stories. Dramione is something new and I hope you guys like this. Please review if you do!**


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